Preparation of methionine and precursors thereof



Patented Oct. 18, .1949

PREPARATION OF METHIONINE AND 1 PRECURSORS THEREOF William F. Gresham and Carl E. Schweitzer, Wilmington, Del., assignors to E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, Wilmington, DeL, a corporation' of Delaware No Drawing. Application October 24, 1945, Serial No. 624,328

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in the synthesis of methionine, and to novel compositions of matter employed in the said synthesis. This application is a continuation-in-part of our now-abandoned copending application S. N. 522,966, filed February 18, 1944.

The classical method for the synthesis of methionine is the method disclosed by Barger and Coyne (Biochem. J. 22, 1417-25 (1928)). According to that well-known procedure, betamethylmercapto-propionaldehyde is subjected to a Strecker synthesis, by means of which methionine is obtained in about 6% yield (cf. Organic Syntheses, volume XIV, page 60).

An object of the present invention is to provide a commercially feasible process for the manufacture of methionine in good yields from readily available starting materials. Another object is to provide an inexpensive and continuous process for the synthesis of methionine. A still further object is to provide novel compositions of matter which are especially adapted for use in the synthesis of methionine. Another object is to prepare methionine nitrile as a novel composition of matter. Other objects of this invention will appear hereinafter.

These and other objects are accomplished in accordance with this invention by means of a series of coacting and interdependent operations comprising the following steps: (1) reaction between methyl mercaptan and acrolein to form beta-methylmercaptopropionaldehyde in the presence of an alkaline or non-acidic (preferably an amine) catalyst; (2) addition of hydrogen cyanide to the resultant beta-methylmercaptopropionaldehyde, preferably also in the presence of an alkaline catalyst, such as pyridine,

to form alpha-hydroxy-gamma-methy1mercaptobutyronitrile; (3) reaction of alpha-hydroxygamma-methylmercaptobutyronitrile with excess ammonia under high pressure to form alpha-amino gamma methylmercaptobutyronitrile; and, (4) hydrolysis of the said alpha-amino-gammamethylmercaptobutyronitrile to form methionine. Equations illustrating the reactions may be written as follows:

2. CH3SCH2CH2CHO+HCN+ CHaSCHzCHzCH (OH) CN 3. CHaSCI-IzCI-IzCH (OH) CN+NH3- CHzSCHzCI-IzCH (NHz) CN+H2O 4. CHsSCH2CH2CH(NH2) CN+2H2O CH3SCH2CH2CH(NH2) COOH-l-NHs (Methionine) In accordance with this invention, this synthesis of methionine is accomplished in overall yields of about 10%.

The first step in the synthesis, namely, the reaction between methyl mercaptan and acrolein,

is best performed at a temperature of about 0' to 20 C., in the presence of 0.05 to 5.0%, preferably 0.1 to 0.5%, of pyridine, based on the weight of the methyl mercaptan used. As the reaction proceeds, the temperature may be allowed to increase somewhat, but it should not be allowed to rise above about 50 0., else excessive polymerization of the acrolein will occur. The methyl mercaptan preferably should be present in excess of the amount theoretically required. In fact, about 2 mols of methyl mercaptan per mole of acrolein is usually desirable. One reason for this is to permit control of the reaction temperature, since the exothermic heat of the reaction can be dissipated conveniently as heat of vaporization of methyl mercaptan. Accordingly, the reaction vessel is generally equipped with a reflux condenser operated at a temperature of 0 C. or lower for return of vaporized mercaptan to the reaction. If desired the heat may be withdrawn by external cooling. In carrying out the reaction between acrolein and methyl mercaptan, care must be exercised to prevent excessive polymerization of the arcolein before it has had a chance to react with the mercaptan. This is achieved by inhibiting the acrolein with about 0.1% of hydroquinone, and by very eflicient stirring of the mercaptan while adding the acrolein thereto. It is important that the acrolein be introduced directly into the mercaptan and not, for example, along the inner walls of the reaction vessel, where polymerization of the acrolein may occur because of the alkaline catalyst present. Towards the end of the reaction, which usually requires from 10 to 30 minutes, the temperature is preferably allowed to reach about 20 C. After the reaction is complete, the excess methyl mercaptan may be stripped off, and, if desired, the residue may be distilled to yield as the almost exclusive product, betamethylmercaptopropionaldehyde. This novel procedure gives beta-methylmercaptopropionaldehyde in very high yield (98%).

The next step in the process of this invention is the preparation of the cyanohydrin of betamethylmercaptopropionaldehyde, namely, alphahydroxy gamma methylmercaptobutyronitrile, which is prepared also by the use of pyridine as the preferred catalyst. Consequently, the betamethyl mercaptan addition product, containing pyridine, may be treated directly with hydrogen cyanide. In the second step of this invention, hydrogen cyanide, preferably in about 10% excess, based upon the beta-methyl-mercaptopropionaldehyde is added to the reaction product of the first step at a temperature in the range of about 15 to 75 C. (preferably 35 to 55 C.) with 0.1 to 0.5% of an amine catalyst, such as pyridine. The formation of the cyanhydrin takes place very easily, yield after about 30 minutes reaction time being practically quantitative.

In a specific embodiment, this cyanhydrin, which is alpha-hydroxy-gamma-methylmercaptobutyronitrile may be isolated in pure form, and thereafter aminated as hereinafter set forth. This alpha-hydroxy-gamma methylmercaptobutyronitrile is a novel composition of matter which is particularly useful in, and especially adapted for, the herein described process for making methionine. Prior investigators in this field have never succeeded in isolating this material, or even obtaining it in crude or transitory form, and, consequently, these prior processes for making methionine from beta-methylmercaptopropionaldehyde without obtaining this intermediate have invariably given low yields.

Thethird step of the process of this invention is the amination of alpha-hydroxy-gammamethylmercaptobutyronitrile, by treatment with high pressure ammonia. It is not necessary to separate the pyridine or other amine catalyst from the product of the preceding step prior to carrying on this amination, but such separation may be effected if desired. The reaction of alphahydroxygamma methylmercaptobutyronitrile with ammonia is preferably accomplished by processing alpha-hydroxy-gamma methylmercaptobutyronitrile at a temperature in the range of 10 to 150 C., preferably 75 to 90 0., with a large excess of ammonia (at least 5 moles of ammonia per mole of cyanhydrin, preferably to 30 moles), at a superatmospheric pressure of 5 to 1000 atmospheres, preferably about 10 to 100 atmospheres. At about room temperature the reaction may require up to 12 to 15 hours or more for completion, but at 80 to 90 C., the reaction is complete in 15 to minutes. The yield of alpha-amino-gamma methylmercaptobutyronitrile (i. e., methionine nitrile) under these conditions is virtually quantitative.

This aminonitrile (i. e., methionine nitrile) is a novel composition of matter. Prior attempts to obtain either this aminonitrile or a salt thereof have invariably met with failure. For example, Barger and Coyne (loc. 0112., pages 1420-1) reported that attempts toobtain the hydrochloride of this aminonitrile have not been successful.

None of the other investigators in the methionine field, although numerous efiorts have been made to improve the process of Barger and Coyne, have ever succeeded in preparing this aminonitrile. The success of the present methionine synthesis is due, in large measure, to the fact that the cyanhydrin, and the aminonitrile, are both obtained in isolable form. The pure aminonitrile, which is described in detail below, is a thermally unstable compound, which cannot be distilled under ordinary conditions, i. e. at pressures above a few millimeters. It can be hydrolyzed, however, to give methionine in good yields. Specific methods for the hydrolysis of this nitrile are set forth in the copending applications, Serial Nos. 618,781, now U. S. Patent 2,443,391, 618,782, now U. S. Patmoniation does not give a satisfactory result. In

fact, unless very large excess, or high pressure, of ammonia is used, preferably above about 30 atmospheres, a mixed product containing appreciable amounts of the unreacted cyanhydrin is obtained. The purest aminonitrile is thus prepared at high ammoniation pressures. This is important since the separation of the aminonitrile from the cyanhydrin by physical methods is quite diflicult or virtually impossible. This is due in part to the thermal instability of the aminonitrile, and to the fact that the aminonitrile and the cyanhydrin are similar in structure and molecular weight, being representable by the formula CHsSCI-IaCHzCHXCN in which X represents amino or hydroxyl groups.

Because of the almost quantitative yield in the amination step, the hydrolysis of alpha-aminogamma-methyln'iercap'tobutyronitrile to methionine may be effected without intermediate steps or processing of materials. In continuous operation, the product of the preceding step is pumped through a reaction vessel along with hot aqueous acid, such as sulfuric acid of about 10 to 70% concentration, preferably about 50%. A preferred procedure is to mix the alpha-amino-gammamethylmercaptobutyronitrile with 50% sulfuric acid, and to heat the mixture at a temperature close to the boiling point for about an hour or longer. Thereafter the mixture is cooled to about room temperature, and the sulfuric acid is neutralized with ammonia. In certain instances the product at this stage has a rather dark color, which can be removed by means of decolorizing charcoal. To isolate methionine from the resultant solution, any of the conventional techniques for separating a solute from a solvent may be employed. The water may be removed at low pressure, and the methionine can be extracted from the ammonium sulfate in the resulting residue by a suitable solvent. Alternatively, the solven't may be evaporated and the product isolated 70 to 75%, calculated on the basis of the pure recrystallized product.

This synthesis yields dl-methionine of excellent quality as shown by its high melting point (283, with decomposition). The invention is illustrated in greater detail in the following example.

Example 1.Into a 200 cubic centimeter 3- necked flask equipped with a stirrer, a Dry-Ice reflux condenser, a thermometer and a dropping funnel is placed a mixture of 96 grams of methyl mercaptan and 0.3 gram of pyridine. With rapid stirring, acrolein (56 grams) containing 0.1% hydroquinone is introduced dropwise through the dropping funnel, initial temperature being 5 C. As the reaction proceeds it is necessary to absorb part of the reaction heat by surrounding the reaction vessel with an ice water bath. The reaction continues for about one hour, during which time the reaction mixture is allowed to warm up to 20 C. The unreacting mercaptan (52 grams) and acrolein (3.6 grams) are recovered by distillation at low pressure, the receiver being a cold .utes.

trap at 80 C. There remains a residue which distils quite completely at 60 C., 12 mm., which is the boiling point of beta-methylmercaptopropionaldehyde (weight of beta-methyl-mercaptopropionaldehyde, 96 grams).

This aldehyde is returned to the reaction vessel and a little pyridine (0.3 gram) is added. Into the mixture is introduced 27.2 grams of liquid hydrogen cyanide. By suitable cooling, the temperature of the mixture is maintained at 40 to 45 C. for about 20 minutes. The formation of the cyanhydrin takes place quite smoothly. When the reaction is complete the excess hydrogen cyanide is removed by low pressure distillation into a cold trap. There remains 118 grams of the cyanhydrin, i. e. alpha-hydroxy-gammamethylmercaptobutyronitrile. This is transferred to a pressure resistant silver-lined vessel of about 900 cc. capacity, and ammonia (300 grams) is injected. The vessel is then agitated and heated to a temperature of 80 to 90 C., the contents being under an autogenously developed pressure of about 40 atmospheres. After 15 minutes at this temperature the reaction mixture is cooled,

and then withdrawn from the reaction vessel. Upon evaporation of the ammonia there remains a residue which is amixture'of Water and alphaamino-gamma-methylmercaptobutyronitrile. An aliquot portion of this residue is placed in a distilling fiask and water is removed therefrom by evaporation at low pressure. The remaining residue, which is alpha-amino-gamma-methylmercaptobutyronitrile, is obtained in quantity corresponding to nearly quantitative yield. This residue is thereafter added to the main portion of the aqueous aminonitrile.

Without separating the water from this amino nitrile, the mixture is added dropwise to a solution containing 180 grams of concentrated sulfuric acid and 180 grams of water. The resulting mixture is boiled for 1.5 hours. Thereafter, it is cooled to room temperature, and neutralized with aqueous ammonium hydroxide. The solution thus obtained is decolorized by boiling with a few grams of decolorizing charcoal. After removal of the charcoal by filtration, the solution is placed in an evaporator, and water is removed at diminished pressure until there remains a solid mixture of methionine and ammonium sulfate. By repeated extraction with liquid ammonia, the methionine is removed from the ammonium sulfate. The methionine is isolated by evaporation of ammonia from this extract. There is obtained crude methionine which on recrystallization from water yields 112 grams of pure methionine, melting at 283 C.

Example 2.-To 75.5 grams (0.725 mole) of freshly distilled gamma-methylmercaptopropionaldehyde (B. P. 51 C./7 mm.) containing 0.5 cc. of pyridine catalyst there was added, with stirring and cooling to prevent a temperature in excess of 45 C., 40 cc. (1.04 mole) of liquid HCN; this addition required 15 minutes and the mixture was allowed to react for an additional 15 min- The product was then placed on a vacuum pump and volatiles were removed, the final temperature and pressure being 40 C. at 2 mm. (product weight=84.8 grams). This product was further purified by dissolving it in ether, extracting the ether solution with water, and removing volatile components from the ether layer by means of a stream of CO2 (40 C./2 mm.). resulting purified alphahydroxy-methylmercaptobutyronitrile was a virtually colorless thin Thehence it was desirable to store it at relatively low temperatures, suitably about 10 C. or lower. The purified product analysed as follows: free HCN, 0.0%; total N, 10.38, 10.45% (theory, 10.7%); total S, 23.8% (theory, 24.4%). These analyses identify the material as alpha-hydroxygamma-methylmercaptobutyronitrile.

Example 3.A mixture composed of 59.5 grams of a-lpha-hydroxy-gammamethylmercaptobutyronitrile (0.454 mole) and 155 grams of NH: (mole ratio 1:20) was allowed to stand at room temperature in a closed vessel under autogenous pressure for 18 hours. Volatiles were stripped from the product using a stream of CO2 at 2 mm. and 25 to 30 C.; the remaining product (alpha amino-gamma-methylmercaptobutyronitrile) weighed 56.0 grams (free NHa, 0.0%); total- N=21.16, 21.22% (theory 21.5%); total S=22.4, 22.6% (theory 24.6%). This aminonitrile was a reddish brown liquid, having a density of 1.085 at 25 C. It was thermally unstable, being even more difficult to distil than its parent cyanhydrin. Like the cyanhydrin, this aminonitrile had to be stored at relatively low temperatures, suitably about -10 C. or lower, to avoid excessive deterioration.

One of the significant advances made by the present invention is its adaptability to operation in a continuous manner, since no other methionine synthesis lends itself to practical continuous operation. Some of the outstanding characteristics of the present invention which make continuous operation feasible are: (l) the yield in all steps except the final hydrolysis is nearly quantitative, hence complicated purification operations after each step, which would make continuous operation infeasible are avoided; and (2) the catalyst, which is introduced in the first step (addition of methylmercaptan to acrolein), is effective in the second step (addition of HCN to the product of the first step), hence may be allowed to remain in the reaction mixture throughout steps (1) and (2). In fact, since the catalyst is one which does no harm in the subsequent amination and hydrolysis operations,

.it may be allowed to remain in the system throughout the entire synthesis.

In carrying'out the synthesis of methionine in a continuous manner, the conditions of temperature, pressure; and reaction time employed in each step are similar to the corresponding conditions used in the batch process described in the example above.

It will be understood that the present invention is not limited to the particular embodiments which are hereinbefore used as illustrations. For example, it is not essential that the same catalyst, pyridine, be employed in the first two steps in the synthesis, although generally there is an advantage in doing so. If desired, other non-acidic catalysts may be employed for the reaction between aorolein and methyl mercaptan. Thus, charcoal, amines (piperidine, quinoline, triethanolamine, etc.) lime, alkali metal alcoholates and the like are operative as catalysts inthe first step. If desired, the product obtained in step (2), (alpha-hydroxy-gamma-methylmercap-' liquid, which could not be satisfactorily distilled acids besides sulfuric acid may be emp y d in mamas 7 the hydrolysis of the aminonitrile to methionine, although comparatively poor results are obtained with hydrochloric acid. The oxygen-containing acids, other than the strong oxidizing agents are satisfactory catalysts in this hydrolysis step.

These catalysts include phosphoric acid, benzene sulfonic acid, oxalic acid, hydroxyacetic acid, methoxyacetic acid, and the like. Promoters for the hydrolysis of the aminonitrile may be employed, but are generally unnecessary. These promoters include mercury salts, copper salts. zinc salts, and the like. Neutralization of the hydrolyzate may be effected with alkaline materials other than ammonia, if desired, although ammonia is preferred because it permits easy isolation of the methionine (an inner salt") without saponification thereof. After evaporation of the solvent from the neutralized hydrolyzate, and extraction of methionine from the resultant residue, the ammonia recovered from the extraction may be recycled for use in the amination, neutralization, or extraction operations.

The compounds of the formula CHaSCHzCHzCHOHCN and CHsSCHzCHZCHNHzCN, which are prepared as herein disclosed, are useful as precursors of methionine, and of other biologically active compounds related thereto.

Since many different embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it will be understood that we do not limit ourselves except as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A process which comprises subjecting a compound of the formula CH3SCH2CH2CHOHCN to the action of from 10 to 30 mols of ammonia per mol of CHJSCHZCH2CHOHCN, at a pressure of 5 to 1000 atmospheres and a temperature of to 150 C., continuing the resulting reaction until substantially all of the compound of the formula CHsSCHzCHzCI-IOHCN has been converted to an aminonitrile of the formula and thereafter separating the said aminonitrile from the resulting mixture.

2. A process which comprises subjecting a compound of the formula CH3SCH2CH2CHOHCN to the action of from 10 to 30 mols of ammonia per mol of CI-IaSCI-IzCHzCHOHCN at a temperature of 10 to 90 C. under a pressure of 10 to 1000 atmospheres, continuing the resulting reaction until the compound of the formula CHsSCHzCI-IzCI-IOHCN has been substantially all converted to an aminonitrile of the formula 1 cmscmcmcimmon and thereafter stripping ammonia from the resulting reaction mixture and recovering the aminonitrile of the formula REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,984,415 Macallum Dec. 18, 1934 2,163,176 Keyssner June 20, 1939 2,392,294 Rust et al Jan. 1, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 436,692 Great Britain Oct. 16, 1935 511,841 Great Britain Aug. 25, 1939 655,563 Germany Jan. 18, 1938 OTHER REFERENCES Barger et al.: Biochem. Jour., vol. 22 (1928), pp. 1420-1421.

Sidgwicks: Organic Chemistry of Nitrogen, Taylor and Baker (1937), Oxford University Press, New York, page 117.

Keneko et al.: Chemical Abstracts, vol. 33, (1939), p. 2106 (abstract of Journal of Chemical Society of Japan, vol. 59 (1938), pp. 1382-1384).

Rothstein: Jour. Chem. Society" (London) (1940), pp. 1562-1563. 

